Alleged Bend heroin, meth dealer, teen daughter arrested; drugs, cash seized
Alleged customer also charged; DHS removes 4 other children from apartment
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Central Oregon drug agents arrested an alleged Bend drug dealer, as well as her teen daughter and a transient, and seized drugs and cash at the woman’s northeast Bend apartment. Four other children living there were placed in temporary housing, they said.
Around 8 p.m. Friday, Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE) Team detectives, assisted by Bend police, contacted and arrested Judith Meadors, 53, and a 16-year-old girl near the intersection of Northeast Savannah Drive and Purcell Boulevard, Lt. Ken Mannix said.
Mannix said Meadors’ arrest resulted from a CODE Team investigation into her alleged trafficking of commercial quantities of heroin and meth. An investigation found that she would buy the drugs and sell them for a profit. Detectives also were able to determined she’d recently acquired a large quantity of the two drugs.
Earlier Friday, surveillance teams at the Healy Heights Apartments on Northeast Bear Creek Road watched the girl leave Meador’s apartment as the passenger in a car. Shortly after leaving, the teen was contacted during the traffic stop on Purcell Boulevard and was found to possess heroin packaged for sale, as well as other evidence on her person, Mannix said.
During the traffic stop, Meadows arrived in another car and said she was teen’s mother. She was then taken into custody.
A short time later, CODE Team detectives assisted by Bend police contacted transient Michael Cruse, 39, and arrested him on several outstanding warrants as he left Meador’s apartment, in possession of meth and heroin, the lieutenant said.
Detectives then contacted two 15-year-olds who lived in Meadors’ apartment. During a search of the apartment, drug agents found about a half-pound of meth, 2.6 ounces of heroin, $16,000 in cash, scales, packaging material and other evidence of drug delivery and manufacturing, Mannix said.
Based on the evidence, the state Department of Human Services Child Welfare Division responded to Meador’s apartment, where five juveniles – the 16-year-old, three 15-year-olds and an 11-year-old – also lived, according to Mannix. Four of the children were placed in temporary housing, while the 16-year-old girl was lodged at the Deschutes County Juvenile Detention Facility on drug-related charges.
Meadors was booked into the county jail on drug possession, manufacturing and delivery charges and five counts each of first-degree child neglect and endangering the welfare of a minor. She remained held on $50,000 bail after Monday's initial arraignment and is due back in court May 26 for arraignment on an expected indictment.
Court records show Meadors was arrested on charges of meth possession and endangering the welfare of a minor in August 2018 and was convicted the following January and sentenced to 18 months probation and numerous conditions.
Cruse also was arraigned Monday and later conditionally released pending a scheduled June 8 arraignment on an expected indictment, a jail officer said.
